Mariupol is the most bombed city in the war in Ukraine and is considered by Russia as the “key” of the war.
Frank Gardner’s analysis of the BBC summarizes the four reasons why Mariupol is so important to Russia.
Securing a land corridor between Crimea and Donbass: Mariupol is an obstacle in the way of Russian forces from the Crimean peninsula. They are pushing northeast to unite with their Russian-speaking separatist allies in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.
Strangulation of the Ukrainian economy: Mariupol is a major export hub for Ukraine’s steel, coal and corn to markets in the Middle East and beyond. The loss of Mariupol would be a major blow to the Ukrainian economy.
Opportunity for propaganda: Mariupol is home to a Ukrainian militia unit called the Azov Brigade, which includes far-right extremists and neo-Nazis. Although they are a small part of the fighting Ukrainian forces, they are a pretext for the Kremlin to tell the Russians that the young men it sends to fight in Ukraine are there to save the country from the neo-Nazis.
Significant morale boost: A Russian victory in Mariupol would allow the Kremlin to show the Russians through state-controlled media that Russia is achieving its goals and making progress in Ukraine. But for the Ukrainians, the loss of Mariupol would be a major blow not only militarily and financially, but also psychologically.
Source: Capital
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